Getting Ready for Christmas

Getting ready for Christmas has seemed to start a little earlier than usual. Perhaps, it began this way because our lite FM station began playing Christmas music around the clock in early November?

Either way, last weekend we broke the Christmas boxes (bins) out of hiding in the garage and found ourselves reminiscing and setting our little home up for Christmas time.

This year, Ellie was particularly interested in ornaments and what ornaments she gets to have in her room.  Mostly, anything that is glittery, sparkling, and/or girly in some fashion she claimed as "hers." I gently had to tell her that some of these ornaments, while beautiful, were actually mine when I was a little girl.  I would be happy to share with her, but they were not actually "hers."  She was decidedly okay with this as I am letting her display some of these in her room (pics to follow later).

In the mean time, she got to decorate her very own silver tree with its very own little, tiny, baby ornaments.  Her strategy: find one solid branch and hang as many ornaments on said branch until it can hold no more.  Needless to said, she was into it. I think that she felt pretty grown up and proud of herself.

We tried to include Maja in these festivities, and like usual, she was out for the count.  We gave her a Santa bear to hold onto, which she promptly raised her arm in response to.  Silly lady.

In the spirit of Christmas time, we also made it to the Botanic Gardens (along with my folks) to their Winter Wonderland exhibit.  Basically, it is a foresty wonderland with many miniature trains cruising high and low around many historic Chicago landmarks (mini-sized).

Here is Ellie with the "Bean."  As you can see, she is thrilled to be taking this picture (so is Vanessa).

At the end of the exhibit, you find yourself at a cozy cafe with crafts to create along a wintery theme.  Ellie made her very own cranberry and birdseed feeder with MeMo.

Best to you and yours as you get ready for this holiday season.